Yes, it is being astroturfed. By the Korean government. Its a part of their traditional "survive between superstates" policy that has guided centuries of Korean nationhood. Its funny how between the Chinese, Mongolians and sometimes Japanese, and later the Chinese, Russians and Americans, Korea has spent the majority of its existence not annexed but merely as a vassal state. Because that is something the Koreans are very sensitive to. The power relations and how to make oneself useful/seem loyal enough that the ruling power leaves you be with mere tribute. That's why the Talmud is so popular in Korea. But also image. What the difference is between the actual strength and authority of the emperor in Beijing is compared to the image as the son of heaven.
Something else that came out of that history of being a vassal state is a very strong, singular identity. Korea has a long tradition of centralized statehood. It was a region fought over, but the actual administration rarely changed, the conquerors being content with being the new overlords of this loyal and useful vassal in that mountainous peninsula known as Korea. It was not a border region filled with skirmishes and outcasts, a region of intermingling between two great empires. Korea paid its tribute and was left alone. If the Emperor in China changed, then only the person they paid that tribute to changed.
And now Korea lies in between China and the USA. The two superpowers of the era. Sure, it knows that it is currently a vassal state of the US, but it harbours ambition of independence - and perhaps even a regional power. They're desperate to project an image of a strong, dependable ally. Militarily they'll sell their stuff to practically anyone, but also culturally the bonds need to be strengthened. Image is very strong after all.
So, in good Korean tradition a strict, oppressive elite uses the people of Korea for their own ends (no joke, South Korea has probably one of the worst histories of slavery). The Chaebol - Korean conglomerates like Samsung, LG, Hyundai, etc - are so interwoven with the government that they even make the cronyiest of capitalists blush. It's like something out of a marxist propaganda pamphlet. The government scratches their back, and they scratch the government's back. In the form of K-culture industry. They are really good adaptors, taking something their superpower hegemon does and pushing it to the extreme like the bestest boy in the class they are. Ancient Korea with Buddhism, NKorea with Juche and SKorea takes capitalism and consumption beyond what is thought sane.
A small thing I've noticed: practically each Korean drama has a love triangle. Cuckolding and the seething about status is deeply rooted within the Korean psyche. Ressentiment from centuries of vassalage?
So this results in an entertainment-industrial complex that makes Hollywood look like a bunch of scrubs. Forget the formulaic 2000s action movies glorifying the US military and its adventures in the sandboxes, beating up other kids and stomping on their sand castles. Compared to those high-school plays, K-pop is a carefully designed memetic weapon aimed at creating pro-Korean goodwill. There is no creativity - no soul - in Kpop. It's made in boardrooms by fanatics - people who'd be described as rabid nationalists and bigoted xenophobes if they were whites in the west - who believe that this is the way that Korea will break its chains. It's a psy-op, projecting Korea's deep-seated desire to be free from its superpower neighbours. And perhaps even dominate them in turn....
